Will moving to Canada affect my US PR??

[rachel6992]

When my partner's visa gets processed, I am going to drive all of our belongings to Canada and MIguel will return to Mexico and fly into Toronto.  Two questions:
1)  What will I need to bring with me?  I'm a US PR and a Canadian citizen, so will I need any kind of paperwork?
2)  When I cross through the US checkpoint, will telling them that I'm moving to Canada affect my US PR?  I'd like to keep that if at all possible! 

Advice anyone?

[wilson]

Hi,

While  I crossed the borders twice; one time via Buffalo -Niagara and another via Michigan-Windsor  the road to Canada from US Side was open and there was no check point.  While entering Canada you are only stopped at the Canadian Check point, where they don't have to ask about your US PR problem. They will check your passport whether you are authorized for an entry. Sure, they will ask about the goods you are taking to Canada.

  

When my partner's visa gets processed, I am going to drive all of our belongings to Canada and MIguel will return to Mexico and fly into Toronto.  Two questions:
1)  What will I need to bring with me?  I'm a US PR and a Canadian citizen, so will I need any kind of paperwork?
2)  When I cross through the US checkpoint, will telling them that I'm moving to Canada affect my US PR?  I'd like to keep that if at all possible!  

Advice anyone?

[PMM]

Hi

When my partner's visa gets processed, I am going to drive all of our belongings to Canada and MIguel will return to Mexico and fly into Toronto.  Two questions:
1)  What will I need to bring with me?  I'm a US PR and a Canadian citizen, so will I need any kind of paperwork?
2)  When I cross through the US checkpoint, will telling them that I'm moving to Canada affect my US PR?  I'd like to keep that if at all possible! 

Advice anyone?

If you move permanently to Canada, you will lose your "green card"
All you require to enter Canada is you Canadian Passport.  Was your car bought in the US?  If so, then you will have to export it from the US and import it into Canada. See: www.riv.ca for the instructions and determine if it is eligible to be imported.  You will have to complete a list of goods that you will be returning to Canada with.  If you have been gone for over a year, there is no Taxes duties except for individual  items with a value of over $10K

PMM

PMM

[rachel6992]

Will the US Customs ask me if I'm permanently moving to Canada?  I bought my car in the U.S., and will check on having it imported.  As far as the list of goods go, I've been out of Canada my whole life.  We immigrated to the U.S. when I was a year old.  So I still won't have to pay any taxes, right?

Thanks!

[YorkFactory]

If you ever re-enter on your green card, they might ask how long it's been since you were last in the U.S., and confiscate it and revoke your status if they determine you no longer reside in the U.S.  If you've lived in the U.S. with a green card since you were 1, don't you qualify for U.S. citizenship?  Obviously, you should consider all the downsides (you would be filing tax returns with the IRS for the rest of your life), but getting citizenship would stop you from having to apply to immigrate to the U.S. all over again, should you want to move back here.

[hoping75]

Hi,

Once you are outside of the US for more than 6 months you lose your permanent residency. The only way to maintain your US status would be to get your Citizenship. I was told this by a border agent upon entering the US, and I told him I was considering at that time moving back to Canada. He informed me to the fact that after 6 continuous months out of the US I would lose my US status.

Permanent residence in the US means exactly that. You must remain a permanent resident in the Country.

Good luck.

[rachel6992]

Well we would just come into the US before 6 months are up.  But we lived in Spain for a year (well, just under a year), and no one said anything to me when I entered the US on my return.  I was under the impression that you couldn't be gone for more than a year.  Perhaps they've changed it. 

As far as the taxes go, I have to do those anyway, so no biggy...but yes, they are a pain in the butt!

If I apply for my US Citizenship, will that affect our application since I am the sponsor?

[Leon]

Officially you can be outside the US for a year but 6 months is better.  If you need to be outside the US for longer than a year, you can apply for a returning residents permit but I don't think they would give you that if you are moving away permanently, you would probably have to show that you will be moving temporarily and for how long.

I knew some people several years ago who were keeping their US green card active for years by going to the US every 6 months.  I don't know if they are watching it more closely now who is actually living there and who isn't but if they conclude that you have left the US permanently, they can also take your green card even if you haven't been gone that long.

[Karlshammar]

Nope, it won't affect it at all. The Canadians don't care about the sponsor's status or non-status in other countries. If you have the chance to go for citizenship I'd recommend it, since you'd then keep your U.S. status no matter how long you leave for.

If I apply for my US Citizenship, will that affect our application since I am the sponsor?